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4.1.2 Special Resources Panel

SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER

Only resources (including placements) that require multi-agency funding should be presented to the Special Resources Panel. 

For agreement and funding for any other external placement, see the following:

External Fostering and Residential Placements Procedure

External Residential Placements Procedure


Contents

1. Purpose of the Special Resources Panel
2. Principles
3. Membership
4. Criteria for Special Resources Panel
5. Procedure
5.1 Making a Referral
5.2 Attendance at Panel
5.3 Recording Decisions
5.4 Reviewing Cases


1. Purpose of the Special Resources Panel

This procedure outlines the function and operation of the Special Resources Panel, including the process and criteria for referrals.  

  1. To identify and agree funding for Calderdale based resources where these are additional to existing resources and where existing budgets cannot meet the cost of these packages.
  2. To agree joint funding for external placements where criteria are met.
  3. To identify resources to return young people to Calderdale from external placements, where it is appropriate and consistent with the child, young person's care plans and needs.
  4. To review existing allocation of special resources on a 6 monthly basis or more frequently if appropriate. 


2. Principles

The Children and Young People's Services Directorate - Inclusion Services and Children's Social Care, and NHS Calderdale are committed to joint working, commissioning and planning to ensure that the needs of children can be met in Calderdale.

In order to achieve this, the agencies aim to:

  • Co-ordinate and simplify the process for agreeing jointly funded special resources.
  • Work together in agreeing additional resources to enable young people to remain in Calderdale.
  • Work towards a position where budgets are pooled.
  • Work towards returning children and young people to Calderdale wherever possible. Consistent with their needs.


3. Membership

  1. Chair: Head of Children’s Social Care
  2. Membership of the Special Resources Panel will consist of Managers from each service and will be chaired by a senior Manager from Children and Young People's Services. Other members may be invited or co-opted as necessary.
  3. Each service will provide substitute members to cover absence. The substitute member will have delegated responsibility for budget decisions.
  4. The panel will only be quorate in respect of decisions making if there is a member from each of the three services.
  5. The Panel will meet on a monthly basis.
  6. The Panel will be serviced by the Children and Young People's Services.


4. Criteria for Special Resources Panel

1. All locally based existing resources within all agencies must have been explored, and found to be insufficient to meet the child or young person’s assessed need.
2.

A Multi Agency Core Assessment of Need Form must be completed. The Assessment must detail the following:

  1. The child or young person’s needs.
  2. Details of current support provided by all agencies to meet the identified needs, with outcomes, and reasons why this input has been unsuccessful.
  3. Proposals on how the needs could be met by all agencies. Use of resources outside Calderdale will only be considered where referrers have demonstrated that all in-authority options have been considered and found insufficient.
3. Discussion must be held with the relevant Principal Officers for their agreement.
4. A multi-agency planning meeting must be held recommending referral to the Special Resources Panel.


5. Procedure

5.1 Making a Referral

Referrals can be made by a representative from any of the three services

The referrer should prepare a Multi-Agency Assessment of Need Form. This assessment must be produced jointly with colleagues form other agencies and should follow the guidance of the Assessment Framework.

The referrer should call a multi-agency planning meeting that will consider the multi-agency assessment and if appropriate recommend referral to the Panel.

The referrer should arrange for a Team Manager to chair the meeting.

Whilst membership of the meeting will vary according to individual need, the following people must be invited.

  1. Social Worker
  2. Social Work Team Manager
  3. Parents
  4. Child, if appropriate age.
  5. Headteacher/teacher and other relevant professionals from the education authority e.g. representative from the behaviour support team, educational psychologist or education welfare officer. 
  6. GP
  7. Health visitor
  8. Other relevant health care professionals e.g. health authority representative with responsibility for commissioning, CAMHS representative, specialist health visitor or paediatrician.

    If the child is looked after
  9. Child’s foster carers or residential keyworker
  10. Family placement

The purpose of the meeting is:

  1. To identify the young person’s needs
  2. To establish that all existing resources available to meet the needs are being utilised appropriately.
  3. To identify what special resources would be required to meet the unmet needs.
  4. To approve referral to the Special Resources Panel if appropriate.

The Team Manger is responsible for ensuring Minutes of the meeting are prepared.

The referral papers will comprise:

  1. The minutes of the planning meeting.
  2. The Multi-Agency Assessment of Need Form
  3. The child’s Care Plan or Child Protection Plan (if appropriate)

All papers to be sent to relevant Principal Officer for their agreement.

Receipt of papers will constitute a referral and the case will be allocated to the next available panel.

5.2 Attendance at Panel

Items to be presented to Panel will be allocated time slots 5 working days prior to the Panel date. The referrer will be notified of the time slot.

The referrer should attend the Panel

In the referrer’s absence, their manager should attend

5.3 Recording Decisions

The Chair of the Panel will approve the minutes within 5 working days

A minute will be kept for each agenda item, recording decisions made. A copy of the minute will be forwarded to the referrer.

It is the responsibility of the referrer to ensure copies of the minutes are sent to all members of the multi-agency planning meeting, and to the parents and young person.

Copies of the minutes will be sent to all standing Panel members, and any substitute panel members

Any inaccuracies in the minutes should be reported immediately to the Contracts Manager, Children and Young People's Services.

5.4 Reviewing Cases

There should be ongoing review of the assessment and the plan which led to the allocation of special resources.

The panel will recommend when the case should be re-presented to Panel. In any case, this will be a minimum of annually.

As a minimum, prior to Panel the referrer should call a multi-agency review meeting. This may, if appropriate, take place following the recommendations of a Child Care Review.

  1. Where a child or young person is placed in an external placement, the multi-agency planning meeting must consider all possible resources whereby needs could be met within Calderdale.
  2. In addition the meeting should review:
    • changes in circumstances.
    • the progress of the plan
    • the outcome of the increase resources
    • and make recommendations to the Panel regarding the future plans.

A Special Resources Panel Review Form (PLAC-09ii) should be completed at the meeting for each case being reviewed.

The following documents should be attached to this:

  • Minutes and recommendations of previous Special Resources Panel.
  • Minutes and recommendations of most recent Child Care Review or planning meeting.
  • The child or young person’s Care Plan or Child Protection Plan (if appropriate).

End